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I enjoyed this one. Interesting feature to encode the clue numbers. Not too hard. Like others, I started with the clue numbers. If it helps anyone, my “in” was the value of H, mainly from down clue numbers, which a bit of reasoning narrowed down to just one possible value, then I unfolded from there. I used only the clue numbers to fix all but seven letter values, then the maximum answer length to fix one more that had only two possible values by this stage, then gradually filled in the answers resolving the remaining letters as I went. Nice feature to have decimals and fractions, points and solidi. My only criticism with a preamble that otherwise turned out to be commendably precise is that it really should have said to use a simple fraction *in lowest terms*. Not a major gripe though. Thank you Piccadilly.

Not part of the solution as such, but I don’t think I’ve clicked what the title is getting at and the various words the clues kind of make. Probably me just being really slow…

I don't think the title is getting at anything; it's just a generic term for a puzzle with a totally blank grid with no bars, blocks or numbers. I don't think the clue 'words' are getting at anything either.

The expressions for the clue numbers use all letters except JQVXZ. It's possible to deduce all but one of the others using only the clue number expressions and that the exceptional one can only be one of two values. Further, the wrong choice of this value immediately leads to a clash between across & down entries with the same clue number.

Sounds identical to my solving experience, mooncow. I really enjoy the quarterly numericals,
they offer a different challenge, clearly, but give a workout to that half of the brain that sometimes gets neglected!

Thanks, quisling @ 39. All done now - my algebra was a very long time ago!

Mine too, diver. But my mother was a maths teacher. She would never forgive me if I forgot it! Happy to help

muraria - If you enjoy the numericals, you might like Crossnumbers Quarterly:

https://www.crossnumbersquarterly.com/

Many thanks, buzzb, I will definitely take a look.

Oyler, what is a ‘hidden locations device’, please?

Piccadilly, thanks for the fun puzzle.

@cloverjo. The hidden locations device was first used by Klan I believe in the 1980s. The grid was numbered conventionally but the clue list was lettered. So, the clues fell into 3 sets, those letters that were for across only, down only and then both. This helped in that there were 3 logic grids to work with which had fewer numbers in them as opposed to just one grid which contained them all. Since then many setters have used the device - Hedgehog in The Magpie in particular and I've done a few for CQ.

Thanks, oyler